So, another Appalachian Trail icon has soared to that big trail up in the sky. 73-year-old Bill Irwin has left us, but talk about a timeless legacy — boy, has this guy got one. I suppose the most celebrated of all AT thru-hikes was Earl Shaffer’s, the first one. But Bill Irwin’s hike with his seeing eye dog, Orient, has to rank as #2 on the all-time list. I never met Bill, but I’m told he was a great speaker, a gentle soul, a man of faith and an all-around tough son of a gun. Anyone who encountered him came away impressed with what a nice gentleman he was and amazed that a blind man could make it from Georgia to Maine on a trail that is often overwhelmingly challenging for well-conditioned 20-somethings with perfect vision. He took many falls and suffered substantial injuries during his 1990 hike, including broken ribs. But he and his faithful canine companion kept the faith. Bill leaves this world — and his favorite footpath — better for having lived on them.
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The Old Dunhams Get Resurrected
Joe Harold, the manager of the Appalachian Trail Museum, sent me this photo taken near the entry of the museum showing a “spinner” book display with my books in it. What amused me is that on top of the display are the four-decade-old Dunham boots I wore on my 1973 thru-hike. As I told my family, this is enough to delight an old codger. If you live in the area, visit the museum and buy a book!
I spent yesterday manning a table at the Thru-hiker Kickoff weekend at the Lodge at Amicalola Falls State Park. The AT Approach Trail trailhead is there, and for many aspiring thru-hikers, it is their first memory of the AT. My table was at an expo crowded with AT lovers of all ages, including the famous Gene Espy who I first met many years ago. He and I traded signed copies of our books. I also spent time talking to the guy who wrote AWOL on the Appalachian Trail and the big tall guy who wrote the book, Skywalker. Kindred spirits galore. I sold and signed a number of copies of THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story and generally had fun promoting the heck out of the Len Foote Hike Inn. Great fun! As my character, Brave Phillie, said: “I love this Springer Mountain. It’s the startin’ line for dreams.” Indeed it is. There are many who dream and do nothing more, but each year, a large group of hopefuls decide to hit the Approach Trail and actually pursue the dream. Now is the time to say Godspeed to them. Stay vertical, you all, and keep walkin’!
I was very, very smart!
Back in 1973 when I skipped graduation at the University of Georgia to head to Mount Katahdin for a SOBO thru-hike of the A.T., I had great confidence. I had just received a college diploma, so clearly, I was very, very smart. I was so smart that I did very little research and planning and found myself in Maine in early June after a winter of massive snowfall and a spring of torrential rains. The trail was a quagmire, and the air was filled with black flies and swarms of mosquitos so large that I occasionally saw them fly by holding small mammals in their clutches. The photo below depicts my very, very smart self walking across logs on the edge of a north woods lake that was overflowing its banks. The trail was under 18 inches of water. That’s how smart I was. I will give myself credit, however. I kept going and things got better. By October 20, I was proudly striding up Springer Mountain. It can be done, I tell you. So, stay vertical and keep walkin’. (Photo by Bob Bruggman, all rights reserved).
So Long Mom!
When my parents came to visit during my 1973 thru-hike, my dad took this photo of my mom saying goodbye at a road crossing south of Port Clinton. (Note the plastic milk jug, true high-tech). I walked away with tears streaming down my face feeling very alone. If you read THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story, pay attention to how Linda’s mom treats her. Trail mom’s are the best trail angels. Stay vertical, y’all. Keep walkin’. (Photo by Dick Judy, all rights reserved).
Pondering Mortality and Faith
THRU’s back cover!
THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story Takes Flight!
You can order a copy at Amazon, so take a look and order. I will update all of you on events surrounding the release of this book as I work with the publisher to make as much money as we can for the Appalachian Trail Museum up in Pine Grove Furnace, PA. The idea for this book was festering in my 21-year-old brain more than four decades ago when I finished the trail. You cannot accuse me of working too fast! I think you will enjoy hiking vicariously from Maine to Georgia with Sky Writer, Captain Stupid, Momma Llama and the rest of the thru-hiking crew as they make their way through 14 states. Please use all your communicative powers to publicize this blog and my Facebook page. I will be working with the publisher to carry out a guerrilla promotional effort to make this all work. I will post the back cover too, so keep blogging with me. Remember, stay vertical and keep walking. (Photo by Lorrie Preston. Design by Margy Schmidt. All rights reserved).
The Startin’ Line for Dreams
This moody view west from Springer reminds me that one of my THRU characters called the mountain the “startin’ line for dreams.” Now, with THRU at the printers and almost ready for sale, a new starting point is here. As a SOBO, for me Springer was a transition point to one adventure after another for the last four decades. Now THRU begins a new adventure. I hope you’ll come along for the ride. Stay vertical and keep walkin’!” (Photo by Robert Smith, all rights reserved).
Kids in the Woods — Where they belong!
These Boy Scouts from a troop near Atlanta were brought to the Len Foote Hike Inn a while back by the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club. Before the hike began, they all leaned against the rail atop Amicalola Falls, highest falls east of the Mississippi, and took in scenery that inner-city middle schoolers rarely see, if ever. Working with GATC, the Hike Inn is developing a program called The Outside School. The plan is to introduce wilderness hiking to kids who would not normally have the opportunity to have an eye-opening recreational experience. You have not hiked until you have been out with a group like this. Laughter is the main activity for sure. If you have not been to the Hike Inn, check us out at http://www.hike-inn.com. One thing that makes the outdoors better is to add kids. We plan to do a lot of that in the coming years.
Looks like a Pixie and Sings Like an Angel
You really need to visit the Len Foote Hike Inn when Jackie Elsner provides after-dinner entertainment. Jackie is a librarian by day, but when she visits the Hike Inn she is a mesmerizing story teller and a cappella balladeer. I love hearing her stories passed down through generations of Appalachian clans, but even more wonderful are her songs. Her latest project is an album of ballads she performed for the Byron Herbert Reece Center. Reece, a North Georgia farmer and poet, was an icon of the mountain lore in our region. Jackie has set his verse to haunting melodies of old ballads that date back centuries. After her clear, sweet voice echoes through the Hike Inn dining hall, she often stands quietly with glistening eyes while her audience sits transfixed for a few moments before bursting into a salvo of enthusiastic applause. She brings a sad, pure remembrance of things that matter to those of us who adore the pinnacles of our state’s wilderness. Learn about the Hike Inn at http://www.hike-inn.com. You can buy Jackie’s album from us next time you visit the Hike Inn or order from Amazon or I-tunes. Jackie, we love you!
THRU: An Appalachian Trail Love Story 